VOA慢速英語：澳洲加大力度保護考拉

Australia Increases Efforts to Protect Koalas

澳洲加大力度保護考拉

Koalas are officially listed as at risk of disappearing in New South Wales, Australia. Now, the state's government has $34-million plan to protect the beloved animals.

澳大利亞新南威爾士州正式將考拉列入瀕臨滅絕的名單?，F(xiàn)在，該州政府計劃投入3400萬美元用于保護這種可愛的動物。

Koalas have large, hairy ears. They have especially sharp claws, which help them climb trees. They are marsupials, meaning they carry their babies in an opening of skin on the mother's stomach. The animals are native to Australia, and are described in many Aboriginal stories of creation.

考拉的耳朵大而多毛。它們有著鋒利的爪子可以幫助它們爬樹。它們是有袋動物，意思是它們將寶寶放在媽媽肚子上的皮膚開口處。這些動物原產(chǎn)于澳大利亞，在很多原住民創(chuàng)作的故事中都有描述。

Over the last 20 years, the koala population in New South Wales has fallen by 25 percent. About 36,000 koalas remain. The animals' numbers have fallen in other parts of Australia, too.

在過去20年里，新南威爾的考拉數(shù)量已經(jīng)下降了25%，只剩下大約3.6萬只。這些動物的數(shù)量在澳洲其它地區(qū)也有所減少。

As part of its plan, the government of New South Wales is setting aside nearly 25,000 hectares of forest where koalas will be able to breed freely.

作為其計劃的一部分，新南威爾士州政府將留出2.5萬公頃森林供考拉自由繁殖。

It will also add more signs to help car drivers avoid koalas that walk into roadways. And, the state will build specially made bridges so that koalas and other wildlife can cross roads while avoiding cars and trucks.

該州政府還將增加很多標志，幫助汽車司機避免撞到闖入公路的考拉。而且州政府將建造特制橋梁，這樣考拉和其它野生動物穿越公路時就能避開車輛。

Koalas face several threats, including loss of habitat due to land-clearing, dog attacks and heatwaves. A sexually transmitted disease – chlamydia – is also harming koalas' health.

卡拉面臨著多種威脅，包括由于墾荒造成的棲息地喪失、犬類襲擊以及熱浪。衣原體病這種性傳播疾病也會傷害考拉的健康。

Gabrielle Upton is the environment minister of New South Wales. She told VOA about her state's plan to set up a group of wildlife hospitals to treat injured and sick koalas. She also said researchers are testing a vaccine that would protect the koalas against chlamydia.

加布里埃爾·厄普頓(Gabrielle Upton)是新南威爾士州的環(huán)境部長。她對美國之音表示，該州計劃成立一批野生動物醫(yī)院來治療受傷和生病的考拉。她還表示，研究人員正在測試一種可以保護考拉免受衣原體感染的疫苗。

A new koala hospital will open in Port Stephens, north of Sydney. It will join an already existing hospital in the New South Wales town of Port Macquarie, which began treating injured marsupials in the 1970s.

悉尼北部的史蒂芬港將會開設一家新的考拉醫(yī)院。該醫(yī)院將加入新南威爾士州麥夸里港鎮(zhèn)一家現(xiàn)有醫(yī)院的行列。該醫(yī)院從上世紀70年代開始治療受傷的有袋動物。

Conservationists have welcomed the idea of opening a second hospital. However, they argue that the government's multi-million dollar plan does not deal with the number-one threat to koalas: land-clearing.

環(huán)保人員對開辦第二家醫(yī)院的想法表示歡迎。然而，他們認為政府數(shù)百萬美元的計劃并沒有處理對考拉的頭號威脅：墾荒。

Koala live in trees. They are herbivores, and need forest environments to survive.

卡拉住在樹上。它們是草食動物，需要森林環(huán)境才能生存。

I'm Susan Shand.

蘇珊·珊德報道。